Dublin A.M. Rotary Veterans Honor Flight – A Flying Tribute to America’s Heroes
Posted by David Williamson
on Oct 06, 2011
On Sunday, September 25th four private airplanes belonging to Dublin AM Rotary’s Flying Rotarians and Friends of Rotary took off from Don Scott Airport en route to Manassas, VA with six veterans of WWII, the Korean War, and Vietnam War in a Veterans Honor Flight Project the club has sponsored the past three years. In Washington D.C., the group visited six memorials dedicated in honor of these veterans and their brothers and sisters in bond for the service and contributions to our freedom and way of life today. Making the trip this year were former Marines David Hinds (Vietnam veteran), Richard Loveland (Korean War veteran); Navy veterans Henry Abele (Korean War), and Dale Seiberling (WWII); and Army veteran Henry Cunningham (Korean War) and Robert Koehler (Korean War). The veterans and their Rotary hosts visited the WWII Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Air Force Memorial, and Arlington Cemetery to include the Tomb of the Unknowns.
One highlight of this year’s trip was the opportunity for two of the veterans, Dick Loveland and Dale Seiberling, a pilot member of the group John Miller, and Rotary Club representative and Vietnam veteran Dave Williamson, to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown in honor of our veterans and our Rotary Club’s program to salute these veterans and their many brothers and sisters in arms for their service to the country. The trip is conducted at no expense to the veterans, with the Rotary Club picking up the tab for the ground transportation, meals, and other expenses in Washington D. C. Pilots John Miller, Phil Yoder, Dr. Bob Banasik, and Jim Arnold volunteer their aircraft and time to fly the group to Washington and to whom the Rotary Club and veterans are eternally grateful and appreciative.
It was a successful and inspirational trip for the Dublin AM Rotary club members accompanying the veterans to see their reactions and listen to their recollections of various experiences as we toured each of the memorials. Each year, it is these reactions and recollections that make the trip so much a privilege and honor to conduct. The Veterans Honor Flight is a three-year tradition that we plan to continue in the future.